Skip to content
ENExplore Calculators

Specific Heat Calculator

Calculate the heat needed to change a material’s temperature.

About Specific Heat Calculator

Water has an unusually high specific heat of 4,186 J/kg·K, which is why heating it takes so much energy. Dividing the heat by available power gives the time required. Heating a bathtub of water requires several kilowatt-hours, which is why hot water is typically the largest or second-largest energy use in a home.

Formula

Specific Heat

Q = m c ΔT

c
Specific heat capacity in joules per kilogram per kelvin
ΔT
Temperature change in kelvin, numerically equal to degrees Celsius

Worked example

With the default values below, Specific Heat Calculator returns Heat Required of 1,255,800.00. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Massminimum 0 kg
5 kg
Specific heat capacityminimum 0.01 J/kg K
4,186 J/kg K
Temperature changeminimum -500 K
60 K
Available heating powerminimum 0.01 W
2,000 W

Results

Heat Required
1,255,800.00 J
Heat Required
1,255.800 kJ
Heat Required
0.34883 kWh
Time at That Heating Power
627.90 s
Time at That Heating Power
10.47 min

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2Specific Heat
  3. 3Heat Required= 1,255,800.00 J
  4. 4Heat Required= 1,255.800 kJ
  5. 5Heat Required= 0.34883 kWh
  6. 6Time at That Heating Power= 627.90 s
  7. 7Time at That Heating Power= 10.47 min

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
  • In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
  • Figures are rounded for display to 5 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is Specific Heat calculated?

Q = m c ΔT Water has an unusually high specific heat of 4,186 J/kg·K, which is why heating it takes so much energy. Dividing the heat by available power gives the time required.

Why does Specific Heat matter?

Heating a bathtub of water requires several kilowatt-hours, which is why hot water is typically the largest or second-largest energy use in a home.

What values do I need to enter?

This calculator takes 4 inputs: Mass, Specific heat capacity, Temperature change, Available heating power. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic starting point — replace them with figures from your own environment for a result you can act on.

Related Calculators

Specific Heat Calculator | Calcrivo